Bottled Up: The Battle Over Dublin Dr Pepper

I used to start my day with 2 bottles of Original Dr Pepper when I lived in Dallas back in the day. Now I wouldn't pour it in my mouth if my tongue was on fire 🔥 .

The movie itself is good for entertainment, makes it look like big wig Dr. pepper crushed a small town bottler. It really probably didn't. It's more like a marketing reel for Dublin bottling, the town and Dublin's newer beverages. Th original bottling agreements go back to the start of Dr. Pepper. Had Dublin fought to a jury they'd likely have won based on having the agreement prior to the existence of the current corporation. Basically they were a small outmodded bottler. Dr. Pepper bought out the agreements and probably at a good price. There was plenty to evidence which would have suggested Dublin would have won. The townsfolk get angry. The bottler gets publicity and can make small profitable specialty soda.

This is a hugely entertaining and sympathetic look at the people of a small town who feel the heavy boot of Corporate America. The filmmakers paint an idyllic picture of the town of Dublin, Texas as it tells the story of the first bottling plant for Dr Pepper, a family run business which provided the heart of the town. Because the plant continued to use Imperial sugar in it's ingredients, instead of the cheaper corn syrup, the drinks it manufactured had a distinct taste to the main product, with a lot of dedicated enthusiasts prepared to travel hundreds and miles and pay higher prices to get their hands on Dublin Dr Pepper. Eventually, in the 2000s, the company suits move to crush the small town maverick and proceed to bring down their full monolithic weight in an unfeeling way. The movie is decidedly anti-Corporate and at the same time very conservative in romanticising the old values and unchanging life of a small community. Better, it is entertaining and filled with warm, passionate people who you would like to be friends with. It does offer a hopeful ending as the townspeople get behind a new, independent solution.

Never knew any of this. Not a fan of Corp greed or high fructose corn syrup. Do they even care about the city if Dublin or it's heritage? The people who lost their jobs?! I will never buy 7 Up, Dr P or Snapple again. Time to make them pay. Karma. Thank you for making this documentary.

This doc was thought provoking and well made. You see the struggle a small Dublin, Tx business goes through and the insurmountable battle they face. This doc made me think twice about the companies I choose to support and get behind. Since the doc came out- I decided to give up Dr. Pepper and look into other companies I've loyally supported. Definitely a must watch!